First Steps For Gardening With Your Kids

Gardening with your kids is a riot! They’re out playing in the dirt, laughing and enjoying the sunshine. With any luck, you’ll be able to get them off their tablet and limit their screen time. With your fresh veggies, grown by YOU, there are so many things you can make. A fave here is Turkey and Cheese Cucumber Roll-Ups with fresh cucumbers or Carrot Raisin Salad with fresh carrots.

Before you head out to dig around, there are some ground rules you have to lay. Gardening with your kids requires some planning, and you don’t want everybody running loose around the yard, covered in dirt, with no direction. Just like every other part of managing a family, you’re going to need to start with a plan – and in this case, you’ll be able to make this fun for everyone.

Family time is one of the biggest benefits of gardening with your kids

There’s so much rush in everyday society, that sometimes we just don’t have enough family time. This is an activity that can bring everybody together, and get them bonding.

Make Your Plan

Sit down as a family and make a plan. Are you going to plant flowers? Do you want to create a kitchen garden and eat the veggies? What’s most important to your family? How can gardening with your kids help you reinforce those values? Make note of what you want to do, create a sketch of the plot you’re planning. Use colored pencils and stickers to create a map of your garden. Do some research together on which plants are easiest to grow. This is an awesome opportunity for you all.

Hit the Store Together

Now that you have a plan, you can go on a special shopping trip for your gardening supplies. Pick out special gloves for everyone, and make sure that you have the basic tools you need for gardening with your kids. Let each child be in charge of finding what you need, and use this time to show them shopping skills, which we all know they’ll need one day.

Have A Designated Spot For Supplies

Just because you’re gardening with your kids, that doesn’t mean your home has to resemble a lawn and garden department! Make sure everyone knows where the garden supplies go, and be certain they’re aware that organization and safety are important to the success of the project.

Have Fun

You didn’t decide to try gardening with your kids because you wanted to bore them, you did it because you wanted to have fun! Planning and learning together is so important, but don’t forget to let the kids be silly too. Just like us, they learn better when they are enjoying themselves.

I’m so glad you’ve decided to try gardening with your kids. There are going to be so many great memories you all build together. Take the time away from your stressful schedule, your electronics, and take some time to just be one with the earth. The fresh air and the change of pace are going to do everybody so much good. When you survey your awesome new plot, and you see your kids laughing and playing together, you’re going to be so excited. This could be a yearly tradition for you and your kids from now on!

I can recall our entire family getting in the garden with my parents. We raised a large garden and used what we raised the entire year. This is a great way for children to be involved and parents to work side by side with them

I love the idea as gardening with your kids. Last year my daughter-in-law and son made a garden and both of my grandkids helped. The kids always looked forward to going out and picking the cucumbers the most, even though they are a bit prickly. I think it helps kids feel some accomplishment.

This is such a good idea. My Dad was a huge gardener so I grew up working in the garden. Not only did I learn to work in the garden, I appreciated fresh vegetables because I knew how much work it took to grow them.